Planning Board - Regular Meeting

Hold this till the end if there's more in the presentation that you wanted to look at. But um is there anything stopping us from just doing a quick like Google Maps satellite view of the rest of the oval just to see if it's is there anything else that sort of stands out? I mean, I think my only real consideration was the color of the object. I guess from from what we had seen or what we've had to try to keep consistent across the oval, right? Because I remember the only well two major ones I remember are the historical society building where they're removing some documentation over there and then

oh god nothing like the looks disgusting might be in the fall. Um, if you want to keep it just at like Yeah. like just the overhead view. I'm just curious if there's anything that's going to sort of stick out visually in terms of like color or something like that from that from that consideration because what materials they were calling for. I mean, it was metal. It's metal. Well, I think they were going for black and so I didn't know if we were going to be needing to stay within a different color palette

cuz I think we when they did the and then when the electrical union when they wanted to redo the steps, were they confined to maybe painting that or something? Okay. No, this isn't okay. So, the steel is black, but then there's just sort of silver sheet metal on the roof. Yeah. Is is the sheet metal there silver or did they dust it with snow to make it look better make it make it look a little better in the rendering there? Yeah. So I put snow on it. I think they put snow on it. I think this is probably an AI generated. Yeah. And they generated a winter image. All right. Sure. Structural steel and we'll see.

So yeah, I mean I think Well, so great. But that looks like it's like a a it looks like it's uh painted like a bronze color which I think looks good. I think if it were just galvanized or gray it wouldn't talk about the roofing material the bracing the steel. Yeah. I I'll say I mean okay that the building next to it has like modernized metal doors. So, I I don't have a strong preference on this, but I just like the the the building next to it has like already has some modern features to it. Anyways, um talking about the new the new apartments to the north. Yeah.

Okay. If someone purchased a lot, like there's a lot for sale actually there just north of all these buildings I saw in the Oval district and you wanted to build a new building. Are there design guidelines or requirements for being kind of compatible? And uh but no, this is like a new construction building on the oval property. I think this is the reference we have within our ordinance that reverts into some Yeah. Someone could do like a modernist kind of building in a discip like I know what lot you're talking about. Yeah. Just gave it to me. Wonder if we have anything.

Well, I mean now that we have it, I feel like we should use should point. Okay. Here, Abby, do you want it? What is pointer? Okay. So, this is going here, right? This is the project in question here. And you're saying this building to the north is the one that has Can we get any more zoomed in on this building just to see if there's anything else in there? On the street view, you'll see the Okay. I'm mainly just thinking of the the for myself and you know, I don't want to tell anybody else what to think, but you won't. Don't worry.

The the main consideration on a lot of the houses on the oval that we've had to talk about, they talked about the housing was the slate roofs and some of those other considerations. So, I'm not saying they need to get a slate roof for, you know, this ancillary structure that's going to go down there,

but do we at least need to keep a consistent color pattern or something? Shipo is saying no. And if there's no guidelines from other from the federal policy or sort of anything else, I guess at that point, I'm just wondering if we've had any other consistencies that we've said for that area. The house at the north end on the northwest end. You want to zoom way out? Uh, keep going. Yeah. So, like down here, this last house on the end. No, sorry. It's even further up. It's up here. Um, they had put a a fence in, right? And we said, "Okay, it needs to be black or something like that." So, it'll be consistent with

So, so if we do a street view from looking down that driveway down here. Yeah. Yeah. Where the I mean, you could say paint it rusty like red to match. You see look at the you see the doors right there on the building on the left are already like modernized metal doors. Oh yeah. It's just like a standard aluminum front. Yeah. I don't So I think most of the rest they don't have any profiles. Most of the steel is painted that brown color. Yeah. I would think that if we match that, you know, don't leave it gray.

Gray. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it'd be nice. The black would be nice, but if everything else that's steel there is painted brown. Yeah. No, I'd say match the Yeah. Could you match the existing toleration? I don't think And match the color of this. Yeah, exactly. you know, because there's got to be other examples of the fire escapes that have this little roof. I'm not telling them they have to go to an ashalt single shingle or anything else, but

you keep going down to the other end of the street, right? You want it to disappear, not stand up. That's Yeah, you can see me walking down the street now. It's down ways. We'll do too bad. I would be interested. But Kurt, you were on the board. I think we approved those garages to the left there if I remember correctly. Yeah. Yep. I don't remember what kind of review those had, but yeah. Um, that's interesting. Yeah, I forgot. I forgot about those till the I see the picture now. Yeah.

Yeah. I don't remember the review. Yeah. So, another thing I found out, um, we talked last meeting about the, uh, Air Force's reservation combinance on Oval, and I found out that that has now been disbanded, but all the considerations for the protections for the Oval are now through ship.

And you're talking the federal program for like former Air Force bases, dispand. Okay. They've put all these protections in place. What Jim has there um all these guidelines. They no longer actually exist um as like a governing body that review this these applications, but Shipo is the one that's reviewing it and making So what doesn't exist? The Air Force when the Air Force left, they made a preservation compience for the oval and surrounding properties. Covenant entry. What do you not feel like covenant I think? Oh, okay. Okay.

Yeah. And so that that entity doesn't exist but it did for what? Okay. Years and they used to review stuff but now all to us to ship at that time applications like these were sent to both Shipo and to them and they had a local office but they're long gone now. Jim, do you remember them at all? Oh, you're you're referring to park, is that? Yes. Yeah. Okay. So, park was the designated developer resale authority for federal for the base. Yeah,

you're right. the that's since disbanded and so now Shipo is the only entity within that agreement that reviews on the Yeah. Okay. Okay. Any other? So, we did have meeting minutes as well, which I didn't I didn't print a copy of those, but did anybody have any comments or questions? Yeah.

Thank you. Yeah, these look pretty straightforward to me. The plans actually for the subdivision came through. I just signed them. Everybody's interested in seeing the file on Emily's. Yeah, trust you guys. Yes, otherwise I think the the meeting minutes look fine. I saw that the uh separate we're done talking about this.

What? Uh Dollar General is site works done, buildings erected, closed in. Uh yeah, see that fancy sign that they said they'd give us. What I what I wanted to go back and look at the materials though. I know they typically don't put windows on the buildings. Um, but then they'll put like fake windows to make it look like And I don't remember what was on the elevations cuz when it's just a naked building at first you're like, "Wow, there are no windows." Um, well, yeah, I never noticed that. I don't remember what was on the elevations room. I don't think they I don't remember doing the fake windows. I think we did the brick facade

other than like the building inspector, you know, for for various code checks. Uh is there anything like does the city check for conformance with like the site stuff or general elevation, you know, all the things we approve? Do we is any of that kind of checked at periodic points in like an asbuilt assessment? Yeah, you think that's like I don't think asbuilts has been like checked recently, but I know we've talked about it a lot because there's been issues in the past, but yeah, that's why I kind of wanted right now. And that's pretty rare in most municipalities. You know, you sort of like

you don't have enough staff to sort of do all that kind of stuff. So you'd trust like if there was a violation it would get reported or something like that and then you could then the building inspector would have something to go off of. Yeah. rather than you know your building inspector can't go through every single no drawing necessarily but so within within the proposed word that would change and the planning staff would have more role implementing what's approved out of the planning board and might sign on

yeah that would be great it would make more sense of that interface with the department and say hey this was had to be handled by a planning board or a zoning board. Make sure you check these five things or something. Yeah. You know, I mean I mean currently, correct me if I'm wrong, Emily, but essentially whatever we approve, it gets signed eventually. Yeah. I mean, it's final and then that just gets handed to the building department. It's sort of it unless the building department

Yeah. Unless the building department comes back and I actually I should say they have come back like not in a while that I think even this board is we've I know Kurt we came back and wanted concurrence from the board that something was done. So, I'm thinking incorrect. Yeah, we've been requesting like rain gardens or like more like this site site landscaping and uh

storm water management and that stuff like it might say, but if the contractor is just like doing what they normally do, if no one's checking it, you may not have all the proper drainage and all the proper site work done, you know, that actually makes it function and perform because you can't tell from the surface once they plant things if it's functioning. So, I wasn't sure. for because there because most of the site plans we put Dollar General, the new church, the the housing that's on that hill, the bottom of the hill. Yeah. All of that, you know, you're really I'm driving by the one at the bottom of the hill every day. Yeah. I drive my Dollar General every day, but I didn't stop and poke around on their site, but I I think I've talked myself into going back and finding those. So,

you're out there out front.

Um I have a a fun one. Speaking of the Dollar General, I have a um a lot of family in town and they remembered an incident back at that old Dollar General from way back when the the uh uh Air Force base was still here because that was that's across from where the old gas tanks are. Uh where the you know the port sort of was. And I think there was also gas tanks in there and they were they found an old Press Republican article that's worth reading. I don't think it met any of the historic the criteria maybe for the state or the DP sort of back then, but it it's an interesting read. I don't think there's anything we can do about it at this point, but I'll send it out to this group so you all can

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. piece that together on on those things. But can I loop back to the application tonight? Are you guys having a strong leaning one way or the other of like what we want to suggest or we're just going to wait till see what he says? I mean I I would I I think we would ask them to uh finish the metal to match the existing color of the Yeah. Okay. the red and then the roof color cuz I don't know if they gave samples or I think they did of uh of that. Emily, I don't know if you have any of that, but the samples of material what they were going to put on that the finish or not.

It wasn't samples per or like a sheet. They would call it material color. Yeah, I don't think that was provided. They supposed that stuff? I was just going to say certainly we should ask for that if they don't because I thought that that for most of the other roof replacements we've reviewed that in the past so I don't I don't know if that was always required um just because I haven't gone through that process but or if it's just something that uh I had asked um I had asked for materials list

and they just said it was going to be the same as this same material and color as that overhang. Yeah. and that it was gray structural sh um steel and that's all they give me. Okay. And sorry, did they get approval for that? We don't think so. Oh, okay. I think we confirmed that the last meeting to ask somebody. Yeah, I would I would always push back and ask them to provide what we asked like like the actual stuff because I can't tell what that is like. No, it's doing shadow shadows and I don't know if it's painted or if that's just like the Yeah, that one is finished or the

So, it might be a good one to review internally within the planning department to say like is there on on those applications is it a requirement that you submit a cut sheet of all the proposed materials that you're going to use not because then you can point to something at least when you ask them that. I know it is for like site plans. Yeah, I'm not sure if it lays it out like that for historic site review, but

I know I asked because it was originally submitted with all materials at all. Yeah, I mean along those lines until kind of what you were thinking of too for this way back when I know that the town has something like this for their sort of design consideration guidelines like they've got very their their full-time planning staff has been there for a long time and I think they they put some of those kinds of documents together where they say, "Okay, if you're going to build in the town of Platsburg, it has to look like this." They have kind of a design guideline almost to say, you know, and and they a training like three or four years ago that I went to up at the town and they were very proud to say, you know, hey, the FW web building that's up on Tom Miller Road, you know, usually they build this thing and it looks like a red barn, but we said, you know, you've got to have this. Your HVAC units have to be behind a separator.

Some of that needs zoning. Yeah, they need zoning. So, I would assume it'd be in the zoning, you know, pages and pages and pages. I figured design guidelines. So, yeah, I will say this. I would I would encourage you I think we all have a copy of the draft ordinance. Okay. That still is a couple months out in terms of going to the uh at least council. So, there is time time but I could make time right now. So, it's not too late. No, it's not it's not it has not gotten to the board. I think we're also supposed to hear from the consultant. They are supposed to come and present.

Yeah, that's I mean it's a lot to go through like word for word, but a presentation of the highlights and big changes. So they're supposed to come to the council to present. Oh, but not to the planning board. Not to the planning board. It's already been to the planning board. What was that? February. February. That's where we of last year. This year wasn't last month. Last month. I was here last month and I So what was the what was the I remember you emailing the I wasn't on yet but you sent me an email about it. Yeah, that was sort of our

that was it opportunity to offer comment but that's not the end of it because it still comes to the council. There's supposed to be a presentation by uh the city's consultant. Yes. To the council. Yeah. Everybody should come for the hearing. And when's that? Yeah. Has that been announced yet? Yeah, let me look. I'd be interested to come to that. So maybe if you can, you know, send send that out. Can you add that have that on the a notice? That would be helpful. So we don't miss it. I apologize if that went out earlier. Well, no, but I just need the email that you got last month to send out and review that. It is a big read.

It's a lot of words. I reviewed it a few years ago. Is that good? Were you on the pack? I was on the pack. Yeah. Do you all want to like divide and conquer that and each take a little chunk? And yes, if we were to get together to talk about it, do we have to do that at a special session or a work meeting or is there a way for us to do that? I would say under open meetings we wouldn't have to because we're not doing anything actually planning board related. Well, but we're if we're going to come together and offer recommendations as a planning board that if we're doing that then yeah. So I had that on I see that on my calendar for Thursday, April 16th. 4 o'clock

at 4 o'clock. Yeah. So the council that's a regular council meeting day. Um, but Matt Rogers from Labella is going to come for 400 p.m. start and start giving the presentation on zoning to the council and the public at 4 p.m. here in this that's going to be a couple hours, right? It should be till 5 that Wow. I don't think it's going to be a very abbreviated. Okay. Unless the sees otherwise cuz their regular meeting starts at 5:30. 5:30. Okay.

I think so. Um I think the 16th he does like the introduction and then the council is going to have it for a while and then there'll be a public hearing as well. Okay. Do we want to organize ourselves before that or do we just want to do it on our own? It's too hard to organize or we have to follow up with meetings.

I'm happy to you know review a section and do some of that. I would say I I'll defer to what you know the department is looking for us to do on some of these things. Previously I think Alicia was kind of leaning away from us commenting as a board it seemed like or she seemed like she was nudging us away from that. I don't I don't know that we need to. I think before the planning board, we should have a say in what the zoning would look like or things that would come before us. Recommend what people would do to get through here faster, you know, and easier. So, happy to review a section and comment. Well, again, every everybody has a copy of the draft.

Yeah. So, take a look and have a couple second sections of interest. I mean if anything at minimum take a look at the section that regards to site plan review historic or passion.

Yeah. Any other comments, questions? We still have two minutes. Do you have any any added things? Any updates?

No, the only thing I can think of is I did ask Matt to do a little bit of rewarding for the new zoning. Um, so I asked him if we could repeal the current um, language in the code that establishes the planning commission um, which is the planning board and bring that into the new code and um, lay out, you know, the establishment of the planning board and how many members will be on the board and how long they'll serve and alternates and have all of that description in the new code because how they had it before it wasn't in there at all. So you would still refer back to the old code

or the city code rather to find out those details. So I thought it made sense to bring that in to the new code. So it's all sensation. So instead of leaving it just in the charter Yes. Yes. You asked to pull it forward to actually in the ordinance. Yes. or a different section of the charter of the zone. Yeah. Yeah.

Was there also things about bylaws or something like that as well? Yeah, we talked about bylaws um last meeting and other business. Um if the board decides that they want to pursue changes, then I would encourage the chairman to reach out to the attorney, but I don't think from our conversation there was an urgency to change anything. We wanted some feedback from um council about the city attorney about the interpretation of some of the open meeting and video conferencing rules that have been put in place.

Yeah. and we wanted to make sure that we were operating under the same rules for video conferencing meetings and things that zoning and other boards were operating. Well, I guess at this point based on staff requests and you you would like me to reach out to city council to coordinate that. I'll pay it. By city council, you mean the our attorney council, not the council member. Yeah, city attorney. I mean, I think it should have member does it. Good. Do you have this review that? Yeah, Emily, we can coordinate on that. Get that. Yeah, I hope we're responsive for our Yes.

How long is the document then? 356 pages. 356. How long? It's been a lot of time. You take one through 300. I'll take the 56. There's 56. The last 56. That's the hardest part. Yeah. The appendices. Yeah. All the public meeting notes. Yeah.

And yeah, I think this this one has a lot more like drawing renderings, doesn't it? Yep. That'll take up space. My approach to it would be like if I were trying if I were working on a project and I needed to like start the site plan and developing the city, I'm gonna I'm going to go at it as like I'm going to just like you reference it. Yeah. Yeah. How does the flow work through work someone looking to be great? Yeah.

Okay, we're online still. Okay, six o'clock. So, call the meeting to order for the planning board meeting of March 23rd, 2026. Uh, if we can all rise for the pledge of allegiance to the flag, United States of America, to the States, one nation, indivisible, and justice for all. Hey, we do not have Barb here for roll call. So, Emily, you want to do roll? Yeah, I'm doing it. Okay.

Do you need help with notes or anything? No. Jim Abdales? Yes. Abby Muser? Yes. Tom Cosgro? Yes. Harley Liry? Yes. Hurt Gervich? Yes. Thank you. Uh, so we do have meeting minutes from the February 23rd, 2026 meeting. Any comments from the board? If not, I'll just need a motion. Move those approved. Uh, I can make a motion to accept the meeting minutes from the third legal meeting. Kevin, second and I'll second it. Okay. Roll call. Joe Abdala. Yes. Abby Muser.

Yes. Tom Cosbro. Yes, Harley. Yes, Gervich. Yes. Okay, we have one application tonight. Returning application number 26-01. That's a 24 US oval walkway and fee.

Yep. So again, this um building is located at 24 US Oval Platsburg City Court. The applicant is proposing a covered walkway structure with a sidewalk at the rear of the building. The applicant has provided photographs of the existing site that the board saw last month where the proposed materials are cement sidewalk and gray structural steel for the canopy covering. And the first item on our agenda is the secretification and staff recommends type two action. No environmental impacts. Last meeting we were waiting on a Shipo letter for review which I provided on the screen. Um Shipo essentially said that they had no concerns with the proposed canopy application. So staff uh recommends to proceed to accept that and deeming that page complete.

Thank you. We have Aaron O is here. I think we're all here. Uh we've tabled it for ship of course tonight same thing if you have any questions.

So the board was talking in the premeating and I I think the main thought uh similar to what we had last month when we were waiting for shipo was is it possible to treat the new material to match sort of historical coloration there. So, can you paint it to match the existing fire escape sort of over there in the back? I guess you look at the existing staircase that's brown. So, brown all over the oval. Yeah. To the right. You have the old firecape that's dark red, dark gray. Yeah. I mean, it's it's Yeah, it's really it's the reddish windows. The nice thing I will say I mean it is

that is not a full street right that's a private alleyway the propert city port half neighbor the other neighbor has his garages dumpsters so it is I think the goal would be to make it disappear in essence so to match that fire escape red paint to match the color fire y yeah and then the roofing material what color is the is the corugated metal roof It's I mean right now since we go back the photographs it was to match the invis uh but again if you want that is is that painted or what that is painted

like a is it gray or brown? So if you wanted it to maybe order a color that would match or of that rusty red oxide color that's the fire the older firec I guess but again then you know we paint this one too so they're all the same color you kind of paint the whole believe it. Where do you fall? Actually, would you would you be willing your the applicant be willing to paint and match the

I think that's a good point. It'd be nice to make it look cohesive and city police blue. Um I say right the new one obviously, you know, we can match the visc that a little bit more. I don't think they're going to have a And then I think the gray roof matching goes three the same color pallets and it mixed up a little bit. Sounds like they're very proud of the building.

I think again if the board feels you know the color and and sort of cleaning it up and put that request in. It' be nice to move towards consistency. So ultimately we're asking that the the existing canopy and walking, you know, the entrance way off the back with the steel, the new uh proposed cover all be painted and match the original firecape. Yeah. Okay. Okay,

we're not just picking on you. This is like four or five applications that we've seen sort of around the oval. So, right, the historic character trying to keep it even though it it will not be forward facing. It's keeping in character with the rest of the oval bear to everybody else. The name will set. Yeah, that's fine.

That's okay. Um so with that said next uh step we do have again the seeker proposed seeker classification and or draft resolution which basically finds it as a type two action with no further environmental review required. Um, Emily, we also have a public hearing associated with this. We do.

And don't we typically do the public hearing first before? Well, I'm going to move to move the public hearing open to make sure there's no Is there no one online? Nope.

Okay. And no one in the audience wants to make any further comments. If not, then we'll move to close the public hearing. And again, now we have a seeker uh classification. We have a draft resolution as a type two action. Anybody that wants to move that forward? Draft resolution 26-01 heading. I'll make a motion to classify application 26 01 as a type two seeker. Second. I'll second that. Roll call. Jim Abdala.

Yes. Abby Muser. Yes. Tom Cosgrove. Yes. Carly Liry. Yes. Kurt Gervich. Yes. Okay. Now uh we have uh again draft resolution 26 26-01c to move forward the application. Um again whoever makes the motion if anyone be clear on condition that was discussed.

Yeah I can do that. Uh so I'll make a motion to accept resolution 26-01B. Uh, and we're going to add a condition that the new steel structure uh match the existing firescape in color and that the roof color also be matched to the existing structure on the building. believe. Are we also asking the existing structure, the existing canopy steel be painted to the engine?

That was my I guess that's uh well I'll open it up before I go back to the the motion that uh make sure I understand. So we're going to ask certainly that the structural steel be painted to match the fire escape. We're also asking that the roof of both of those structures also match in that same color if I'm understanding that. So that pen there. So all right. So this is the existing. Do we want this and the new structure to be the same color as here? No. Okay.

We want these this to be the same color. Okay. And do we want it to match the existing of this this sort of galvanized gray black there or are we asking it to match this one? Because this is the the new roof was going to match the existing roof. New match the existing. Okay. All right. And then the the steel structure that's gray currently. Yeah. The proposed and the original. My understanding was we were asking that to be painted to match. So it's all match.

I see. So you want to go back one photo. Do we have a uh one of the existing structure? So we're saying this metal, we want that to be the red painted to match matches regional fire and and that was the applicant's understanding as well. So the structural steel for the existing rear entrance y the structural for the new canopy will all be painted to match the fire escape. Yes.

The roof of the new canopy will match the roof of the existing pier. Okay. I think that's what I had, but I just wanted to share before I go back. Okay. Yeah. Okay. All right. So, I'll go back then and I'll make a motion to accept resolution 26-1B. Uh we're going to ask a condition be added to match the color of the structural steel on the new edition and the previous edition to match the color of the existing fire escape. And we're going to ask that the roof of the new structure be the same color match to the uh previous addition over the rear door. So the two colors match.

Okay. Seconded. Second. Roll call. Joe Abdala. Yes. Abby Muserf. Yes. Tom Cosro. Yes. Farley Liry. Yes. Yes. Thank you. Have a good night. Um, so any other business that we didn't discuss? I didn't put any other business on.

Any other business though that you Anybody else? Okay. If not, have a motion to conclude the meeting. Make a motion to conclude the meeting. Okay. I don't think I need a second on that, but all in favor I Thank you. Quest record. Yeah, my dinner is looking hot. Yeah, I too. All right. Thanks, Emily. Thanks, Emily. Thank you. Nice.

So, is that a no on doing some kind of like coordinated review on the new zoning ordinance? We're all just going to do it on our own and